NINE point floaters on your backhand? If there was a script about goofies struggling it lies in tatters on the floor of the changing room at the Oakley Bali Pro. Other than that it went to the form book.

Being goofy used to be a hinderance on the World Tour, kinda like a left-handed person being forced to use their right hand by some 1980s school teacher unable to accept deviations from the norm. By the end of Round 2 here no goofy surfer had lost a heat, which must be some kind of record. Getting up-and-down in the plunging Keramas lip it was decided is easier on your backhand than timing turns on your forehand - said the people in the know. Richie Porta, head judge, said the scores are coming from "all-over" with this high performance wave producing returns on barrels, airs and all flavours of turns.

Adrian Buchan took the day's high single-wave score of a 9.67 out of a possible 10 for a series of blistering backhand assaults and elevator drop floaters.

“When the wind comes up, I think there are less opportunities for barrels,” Buchan said. “I think this wave really suits goofy-footers. I’ve had a few close heats this year, but I feel like my surfing has been there and my equipment is feeling good.. There were some opportunities out here for me this afternoon and I went as hard as I could at them.”

Kelly Slater said: “There are some really good waves out there when they come. Still though, I’m two for two on slow heats. The waves are fun when they come through, but there just weren’t a lot in mine. I was happy to get a couple of good waves at the start and that really put the pressure on Jack Robinson.”

Bruce Irons was reportedly a bit worse for wear after a late night for his Round 2 heat. Stab reported: "“It seems BI isn’t an early morning person, and had attended a function the night before. “It’s fricken early, isn’t it?” he was heard muttering to Taj." Whether that is true or not he looked a shadow of his former self in the two heats he has surfed at Keramas.

An interesting point we heard made was an observation saying that swells often hang around a little longer at Keramas when compared to other spots in Bali. This is not magic, rather down to the spot's exposure and orientation, preferring a south swell. For example: as a storm marches west deep down in the Indian Ocean the resultant swell to Indo will move increasingly southerly (the angle moves anti-clockwise). However with this swell we're not seeing too much of that movement due to the angle of the initial storm. What we are seeing however is the remnants of the swell, a not-to-be-sniffed-at, 3ft at 14 seconds mixing in with a dose of local trade/wind swell pointed direct at Keramas and in the 4ft at 9 seconds region for the down days.

Updated:
Wednesday (June 20th, Day 3) provided a decent sized wave to finish the final couple of rounds of Round 2.

Moving on, the Keramas forecast promises to deliver a small southerly pulse for the 22nd and 23rd. A further, larger, but more westerly pulse is expected for the 24th and 25th and still holding through the 26th. This is less than ideal swell direction for the primary venue.

However, keen eyes are inevitably drawn to the 27th and the big southerly pulse which is looking increasingly probable. It's a big swell, what we would call in-house a possible 'Padang swell' albiet with a chance of problematic trade winds. More on this soon.